Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeForensic anthropology involves medico-legal cases where human remains have lost "personhood" (an individual cannot be identified due to decomposition or destruction of unique personal features). We will learn techniques that biological anthropologists apply to these cases to identify certain social attributes. We will also blend both biological and social anthropology to analyze human variation and well-being in urban settings. This course will investigate and discuss the various techniques of analysis that biological anthropologists can apply to forensic cases. Topics include human osteology, the recovery of bodies, the analysis of life history, the reconstruction of causes of death, and various case studies where anthropologists have contributed significantly to solving forensic cases. Discussions will include the limitations of forensic anthropology and the application of DNA recovery to skeletal/mummified materials.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeEffective altruism is built on the simple but unsettling idea that living a fully ethical life involves doing the most good one can. In this course you will examine this idea's philosophical underpinnings; meet remarkable people who have restructured their lives in accordance with it; and think about how effective altruism can be put into practice in your own life.All the features of this course are available for free.It does not offer a certificate upon completion.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThe Paradoxes of War teaches us to understand that war is not only a normal part of human existence, but is arguably one of the most important factors in making us who we are. Through this course, I hope that you will come to appreciate that war is both a natural expression of common human emotions and interactions and a constitutive part of how we cohere as groups. That is, war is paradoxically an expression of our basest animal nature and the exemplar of our most vaunted and valued civilized virtues. You will learn some basic military history and sociology in this course as a lens for the more important purpose of seeing the broader social themes and issues related to war. I want you to both learn about war, but more importantly, use it as way of understanding your everyday social world. So, for example, the discussion of war and gender will serve to start you thinking about how expectations of masculinity are created and our discussion of nationalism will make clear how easy “us-them” dichotomies can be established and (ab)used. I will suggest some readings for you to complement the class and assign some activities through which you will be able to apply the theoretical insights from the course to your observations of everyday life. At the end of the course, you will start to see war everywhere and come to appreciate how much it defines our life.All the features of this course are available for free.It does not offer a certificate upon completion.
This course introduces you to the main elements of a good “science of delivery_”_ case study and teaches you how to plan your research, conduct interviews, and organize your writing. The “science of delivery” begins with a simple observation. We often have a vision of the right policies or strategies for improving health, safety, and economic well being, but the real problem is getting things done. Even a simple policy intervention such as child vaccination requires much more than nurses and a stock of vaccine to be effective.Case studies are a vital tool for sharing insight about the how of policy implementation and institutional reform. They trace the steps taken to produce results, show solutions people have devised to address anticipated challenges and overcome unanticipated obstacles. Case studies help us think about how to adapt approaches so that they work in different contexts.This social science course is most suitable for:Practitioners who want to document and analyze their efforts to implement a program or build a new institutionResearchers who want to trace how programs achieved resultsGraduate students who want an introduction to one type of case study methodNo certificates, statements of accomplishment, or other credentials will be awarded in connection with this course.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeTo really understand what is special about Bitcoin, we need to understand how it works at a technical level. We’ll address the important questions about Bitcoin, such as:How does Bitcoin work? What makes Bitcoin different? How secure are your Bitcoins? How anonymous are Bitcoin users? What determines the price of Bitcoins? Can cryptocurrencies be regulated? What might the future hold?After this course, you’ll know everything you need to be able to separate fact from fiction when reading claims about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. You’ll have the conceptual foundations you need to engineer secure software that interacts with the Bitcoin network. And you’ll be able to integrate ideas from Bitcoin in your own projects.Course Lecturers:Arvind Narayanan, Princeton UniversityAll the features of this course are available for free.It does not offer a certificate upon completion.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThis course teaches a calculus that enables precise quantitative predictions of large combinatorial structures. In addition, this course covers generating functions and real asymptotics and then introduces the symbolic method in the context of applications in the analysis of algorithms and basic structures such as permutations, trees, strings, words, and mappings.All the features of this course are available for free.It does not offer a certificate upon completion.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeДанный курс охватывает ключевые знания об алгоритмах и структурах данных, которыми обязан владеть каждый профессиональный программист. При этом акцент сделан на практических областях применения и научном анализе эффективности алгоритмов, реализованных на Java. В части I рассматриваются элементарные структуры данных, а также алгоритмы сортировки и поиска. В части II освещаются алгоритмы обработки графов и строк.Все компоненты этого курса предоставляются бесплатно. При этом по завершении не выдаются какие-либо сертификаты.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeIn this course you will be encouraged to think about some of the ethical issues that we all face in our daily lives, and as concerned, global citizens. The course will focus on the following topics:Brain death and persistent vegetative state When is a person dead? In many countries death is now defined as “brain death,” but is this way of understanding death justified? How we define death is important, because it is connected to critical questions such as: When is organ donation permissible?When is it right to take someone off life support? And how should we treat individuals who are in a persistent vegetative state?Abortion and the moral status of embryos and fetus Most people would argue that it is always wrong to intentionally take the life of an innocent human being. This belief is often expressed in terms of support for the “sanctity of human life.” Is abortion or embryo research compatible with this idea? Doesan embryo have a right to life from the beginning of conception, or is this right something it acquires gradually? When, if ever, is abortion justified?Making end of life decisions How do you distinguish wrongful killing from acts that are not regarded as wrong? Can it ever be right to end the life of someone who cannot express a view about whether he or she wants to live or die? How should we make life and death decisions for severelyill infants? And can euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide be justified?Effective altruismWe all spend money on items that are not necessities. In other parts of the world, people die for the want of food or medicines that cost a few cents. The common view is that giving to poor people in other countries is charity, something that is goodto do, but not wrong if we don’t. But is that really true? This topic concerns what our responsibility is for people less well of than us, what the best cause is, and what good career choices are. How much we ought to do for others?Climate change On what principles should nations agree on the extent of their emissions of greenhouse gasses? Should the nations that have contributed most to climate change compensate the nations that are suffering, and will suffer, most from it? Or should some otherprinciple of justice govern the way we allocate quotas for greenhouse gas emissions?Animals It is common to draw a sharp line between how we are allowed to treat human beings and what we are allowed to do to animals. We consider cannibalism abhorrent, but routinely raise and kill animals for food. We set strict guidelines for experimenting onhuman beings, but much more lax ones for experimenting on animals. Is this attitude to animals justifiable? One way to put this question is to ask: “Do animals have rights?” But the debate does not have to revolve around animal rights. It can also beput in terms of the idea of equality, and where it stops—that is, does equality only apply to human beings? This topic concerns how we should treat animals, and when experimentation on animals is justified.Environmental values It is one thing to argue that we can extend ethics beyond the boundary of our own species, to other sentient beings, but it is a quite different thing to hold that there is also intrinsic value in something that cannot feel anything, like plants, or isn’teven alive, like mountains and streams. Can such a claim be justified? If it cannot, what difference does it make to the case for wilderness protection?Why act ethically? Many of you might reach the conclusion that the ethical life can be a demanding one. So why bother? Why act ethically, rather than doing whatever you please? This is an ancient question, which some philosophers have dismissedas illegitimate, and others have sought to answer, in various ways. It leads us to questions about the meaning of life, and what it is to lead a good life.This course will introduce you to some of the ways philosophers have approached these questions, as well as some of their answers. You will also be encouraged to question your own ethical beliefs, and in the process explore the extent to which reasonand argument can play a role in everyday ethical decision-making.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThis course teaches a calculus that enables precise quantitative predictions of large combinatorial structures. Part II introduces the symbolic method to derive functional relations among ordinary, exponential, and multivariate generating functions, and methods in complex analysis for deriving accurate asymptotics from the GF equations.
This course will give you a perspective on the multiple historical pathways to our present. It builds on Global History Lab, Part 1, but you are welcome to take this course without having taken Part 1.This course begins with a discussion of industrialization during the 1800s, and continues with a close look at the 20th century and current-day globalization. The course themes include economic integration, warfare and conflict, the transformation of the ecological balance, and cultural responses and innovations. To grapple with these themes, we explore first-hand perspectives of historical actors through a collection of texts and images.This is an overview of world history–but with a difference. We will invite you to learn the history of the world not just by watching lectures and conducting weekly readings, but also by applying your knowledge. The core of this course is a series of lab assignments in which you and your fellow students will work in teams to use historical knowledge from the course to solve problems and develop new connections and interpretations of primary historical materials. The teams will post their ideas online for other students and teams to review and respond to. Over time, the course will become a dynamic gallery of collaborative student perspectives on history from around the world.
In this Master Class, Paul Steinhardt, one of the biggest critics of the inflationary model, tells the other side of the inflation story. He claims that inflation is "immune" to experiment -- that it allows for all possible outcomes and is unfalsifiable -- and discusses a radical alternative to this long-standing paradigm.
In this engineering course you will learn how to analyze vaults (long-span roofs) from three perspectives:Efficiency = calculations of forces/stressesEconomy = evaluation of societal context and costElegance = form/appearance based on engineering principles, not decorationWe explore iconic vaults like the Pantheon, but our main focus is on contemporary vaults built after the industrial revolution. The vaults we examine are made of different materials, such as tile, reinforced concrete, steel and glass, and were created by masterful engineers/builders like Rafael Guastavino, Anton Tedesko, Pier Luigi Nervi, Eduardo Torroja, Félix Candela, and Heinz Isler.This course illustrates:how engineering is a creative discipline and can become artthe influence of the economic and social context in vault designthe interplay between forces and formThe course has been created for a general audience—no advanced math or engineering prerequisites are needed. This is the second of three courses on the Art of Structural Engineering, each of which are independent of each other. The course on bridges was launched in 2016, and another course will be developed on buildings/towers.
Across the globe many political leaders and civic groups seek to help their governments work better. They have the will to build change and a vision of a better future for citizens. The challenge is how to deliver on the promises made—how to create new practices, build new institutions, implement new policies, and transform incentives to sustain improvement.This course introduces a way to think about solutions to common, yet difficult delivery challenges. Each week we will read a case study together, examine a problem in detail, create a “solutions” toolkit, and highlight potential obstacles. Then we offer you a second case study on the same theme. You will have a chance to offer your own thoughts and review one another’s suggestions and ideas. Although it is possible to audit the course, we hope most of you will join a team and collaborate with others to come up with new ideas.The case studies explore a range of institutions and institutional changes, although all focus on creating the underpinnings for economic growth, improved quality of life, inclusiveness, and peace—four broad “development challenges.” Drawn from actual experience around the world, each case starts with the problems a reform leader faces and traces the steps taken to address these. You will have a chance to assess the process and decide whether the solutions might work in your own context, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and offer new proposals.The course introduces concepts and insights from applied political economy and the science of delivery. Sample topics include: reducing delay, error, and diversion of funds in citizen services; using citizen monitoring and community-driven projects to improve services in rural areas; preventing conflicts of interest or self-dealing from blocking institutional reform (focused on anti-corruption commissions and port reform); building trust and changing public expectations (city management examples); overcoming capacity traps (what to do when brain drain, political turbulence, or other problems de-skill government); facilitating inter-ministerial coordination at the cabinet level; strategy development and institutional transformation.More Information The course has nine sessions. You should plan to set aside about 3-5 hours a week to participate, although videos and exercises are broken into short segments so that you can allocate your time easily. Through a number of different exercises, you will get the chance to develop and apply your understanding of the course topics. You can take multiple choice quizzes to test that you have understood key concepts, ideas and theories. We also encourage you to form a team with other participants, and to work with them on team assignments. The team work will give you an opportunity to offeryour solutions to some of the reform challenges we discuss, and share your ideas with the rest of the class.Students who complete the course work, will receive a Statement of Accomplishment. It is free and not for Princeton University credit. The course is led by Professor Jennifer Widner of Princeton University, with the help of a number of other scholars and practitioners. It draws on open-source reading selections published by Princeton University’s Innovations for Successful Societies program.
_“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, thattheyare endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that amongtheseare Life, Liberty andthePursuit of Happiness.” _ These stirring words from the Declaration of Independence are at the very foundation of the American tradition of civil liberties. In this course, we explore this tradition from its beginning with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, through a number of notable historical and contemporary cases in which claims to rights and liberties have been at stake. We will examine issues of slavery, segregation, abortion, campaign finance, free speech, religion, affirmative action, and marriage. Our discussion will be guided by thinkers like John Locke, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Hayek, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as important Supreme Court opinions, such as the majority and dissenting opinions in Dred Scott v. Sandford (on slavery), Brown v. Board of Education (on segregation), Roe v. Wade (on abortion), Citizens United v. FEC (on campaign finance and free speech), and Obergefell v. Hodges (on marriage). We do not seek unanimity of opinion, but rather a deepening of understanding. Whatever your views happen to be—liberal, conservative, whatever—they will be sympathetically explored but also challenged. The goal of the course is not to persuade you to think as anyone else does; rather, it is to encourage and empower you to think about disputed questions of civil rights and liberties more deeply, more critically, and for yourself.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeStatistics One is designed to be a comprehensive yet friendly introductionto fundamental concepts in statistics. Comprehensive means that this courseprovides a solid foundation for students planning to pursue more advancedcourses in statistics. Friendly means exactly that. The course assumesvery little background knowledge in statistics and introduces new conceptswith several fun and easy to understand examples. This course is, quite literally, for everyone. If you think you can'tlearn statistics, this course is for you. If you had a statistics coursebefore but feel like you need a refresher, this course is for you. Evenif you are a relatively advanced researcher or analyst, this course providesa foundation and a context that helps to put one’s work into perspective.Statistics One also provides an introduction to the R programming language.All the examples and assignments will involve writing code in R and interpretingR output. R software is free! What this means is you can download R, takethis course, and start programming in R after just a few lectures. Thatsaid, this course is not a comprehensive guide to R or to programming ingeneral.